_Act discharging deposed or suspended Ministers from any exercise of the Ministery, or medling with the stipend._ The Generall Assembly considering that according to the ancient practise and order of this Kirk, the Censure of Suspension and Deposition of Ministers is both _ab officio_ and _â beuoficio_, as is also acknowledged by the 20. Act of the Parliament, _Anno 1644._ And that the continuance of suspended or deposed Ministers in the exercise of the Ministery or in the possession of their stipend hath been & ought to be accompted and censured as a great contempt of the Authority and Censures of the Kirk, Considering also that the continuance of deposed Ministers in the possession of the stipend, is a great prejudice and obstruction to the planting of the vaiking Kirk, and to the service of God there. Therefore do declare and Ordain, That whosoever after the sentence of Deposition pronounced against them, Do either exercise any part of the Ministeriall calling in the places they formerly served in; or elsewhere, or do possesse, meddle, or intromet with the stipend or other benefits whatsoever belonging to these Kirks they served at, They shall be proceeded against with Excommunication; And if any suspended Minister during his suspension, either exercise any part of the Ministeriall Calling, or intromet with the Stipend, That he be Deposed, And after deposition, continuing in either of these faults, That he be processed with Excommunication; But prejudice always to them of their stipend resting for by-gone service and of any recompence due for building or repairing of the Manse according to the ordinary practise. And the Assembly recommends to Presbyteries seriously to be carefull of the putting of this Act in execution. August 7. 1648. _Antemeridiem._ Sess 31. _The Assemblies Declaration of the falsehood and forgerie of a lying scandalous Pamphlet put forth under the name of their Reverend Brother Mastr_ Alexander Henderson _after hes death._ The Generall Assembly of this Kirk having seen a Printed Paper, Intituled, _The Declaration of_ Mr. Alexander Henderson _principall Minister of the Word of GOD at_ Edinburgh _and chief Commissioner from the Kirk of_ Scotland _to the Parliament and Synod of_ England _made upon his death-bed._ And taking into their serious consideration how many grosse lies and impudent calumnies are therein contained; Out of the tender respect which they do bear to his name (which ought to be very precious to them and all posterity, for his faithfull service in the great Work of Reformation in these Kingdoms, wherein the Lord was pleased to make him eminently instrumentall) and lest through the malice of some, and ignorance of others the said Pamphlet should gain belief among the weaker sort, They have thought fit to make known and declare concerning the same as followeth.